thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

[promittere]

NEW MOON ADAGIO

Between the constant requests from the North and the sense of tension that pervades the manor, Sage Tatara makes an executive decision: we're going North, baby.

Of all the things that have happened thus far, let this be the ultimate test of your magic. Even as we near summer, it's frigid. Protect yourselves and your allies from the cold. Protect yourselves while also fighting off monsters (or other territorial wizards, should you make the terrible mistake of wandering into another's territory), flying through the vast wilderness, or protecting the poor humans who need your help to survive. Time to blow off some of your steam. Just be sure to obey Tatara's one rule: don't kill each other.

One particular problem of note is in the Forest of Dreams. Without its guardian, many of these rogue monsters and dangerous predators, displaced from their normal habitats, have found their way into the forest. Many of them, however, are unable to survive against the fatal toxin, and there are plenty of animal corpses and mana stones that litter the forest. It might be best to clean these up before the forest guardian returns...

That said, the toxin is yet another thing you must protect yourself against in addition to the cold. While you can likely keep yourself from dying from the toxins, you may not be immune to its effects. This deadly toxin causes anyone who breathes it in to dream and hallucinate vividly, be it images of the past, imagined futures, thoughts of the present processed and warped...

Strangely enough, those nearby may end up sharing in your dreams... Did you want the darkest recesses of your thoughts, hopes, and fears unearthed for others to see?

Those who decide to venture far past the more populated (in relative terms) parts of the North may find themselves stumbling upon what looks to be an abandoned bandit hideout. It seems it's been abandoned for quite a while—nothing to loot here, sorry!—but there sure are a whole lot of monsters that have decided to make this hidden corner of the North their home.

While you're at it, you may find a nearby cave. Beautiful crystals dot the walls and the floors, and there are small pools of hot spring water free for relaxing. It seems to be relatively free of monsters, too. So maybe this wouldn't be a bad spot to relax, away from everything else?

However, there's one thing that makes this cave truly unique, and it isn't the vistas or the springs—it's the bats. These bats hear echoes of the past and replay them for visitors. Should you stay a while and listen, a bat may pay you a visit. And when it does, it may play for you the voices from the memories of visitors past, whose stories may hold a clue or two to your circumstances...

While the Forest of Dreams is a memory/dreamshare free for all, the aural memories replayed by the bats in the Cave of Time will come from one of the original wizards only. If you'd like an audio replay of a perhaps significant moment either in their personal life or a clue as to what happened to them (it will be randomized), then please reply to this comment!

JOB BOARD

Clean-up and repairs. While thanks to the hard work of your Eastern friends the worst was prevented, the City of Rain emerged from their short ordeal a little worse for wear.

Buildings need repair, blood needs to be cleaned off the streets, the injured need help. This is, perhaps, the only time you will be allowed to use magic openly in the city (you've been given permits and everything!), but you still are not allowed to talk outside of designated zones. Please, please don't get arrested...

As for the scrap that litters the streets? Unfortunately, you'll have to take it back to the scrapyard. But this time, there's a big, roaring bonfire out there. Just chuck all the scrap and debris in the fire. The city isn't taking any second chances—extreme situations call for extreme measures.

Reverence. Several Northern villages are currently outside the protection of a wizard, and have requested the sage's wizards' presence. They're terrified of the monsters and worried the barriers for their villages will fail sooner than later. They don't simply ask for help for free, however, and these smaller villages are steeped in their tradition—they'll pay you their respects, praying to you, offering you gifts, groveling at your feet, in hopes for a modicum of your time and protection. Do their offerings please you? Then assist them with what you deem appropriate for their worship to you: kill a few monsters for them, or a lot if you're pleased. Strengthen the barrier a lot, or not at all if you're displeased. It's up to you! You have the power here. What's it like to be a god for a day?

Ladies' night. The monthly lady officers' gathering is coming up in the City of Affluence—it's an exclusive meetup for the women involved in and related to Western military and bureaucratic affairs. Anyone is welcome, so long as they meet two requirements: they are outwardly presenting feminine, and they have an invitation to the gathering. Here's your chance to flex your transformation and glamour spells! Infiltrate the meetup with a disguise and a fake invitation, mingle, enjoy the drinks, the jazz, the entertainment, and find out what you can... What's the Western army up to? Be careful, though—don't get caught and kicked out!

The attendees seem to be excited about the new phantasmagoria technology and the upcoming display, and many whisper about the upcoming Venator meteor shower...

G'RAHA TASKS

Greetings, new friends! I am G'raha Tia, and while I hesitate to call myself a mentor or a replacement for the one you had, I am eternally grateful for the assistance I received and will do my best to help your cause in any way I can. To that end, I feel I may need to be caught up to speed on the events and get to know all of you.

We can have some tea and sandwiches and have a discussion! That's the best way to learn, sometimes.

TATARA ACTIVITIES

Even if we're not here for very long, I think we should leave our mark (not literally! Don't paint on the walls!). I got paint and big paper in the dining hall, but no brushes... Do you know what that means? Finger paint! Finger paint a portrait of yourself with your name and I'll hang it up in the library when they're all done!

Thanks to Cid and Khun, my camcorder works now. The thing is, what's the point of filming anything if we have no way to watch the film?! Could you guys work together to make some kind of projector? Or like...VHS player? We could have a movie night together!

OOC NOTES

🌙 Welcome to your fourth event! It's your dreamshare and memshare event! Ready to open up with your deepest and darkest secrets?
🌙 We're halfway through the game. How do you feel?
🌙 Back at the manor, Kurapika and Maya have set up a bulletin board! Leave comments, argue with your neighbors, have fun. Be nice. Don't set it on fire.
🌙 On the admin side of things, Lav has swapped out Wanderer for G'raha! Please say hello to your new mentor NPC.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting to the post, and remember to check back frequently, since not everyone checks plurk or discord all the time.
🌙 The next country to go on their mission is North. Do you think a PVP-enabled mission will go well?

» NAVIGATION

Comments

[revengier]

i. best left forgotten;

[ The North is frigid and dangerous, but Kurapika has taught himself a charm or two to keep himself warm. He'll extend the offer to whoever is accompanying him, too. Warming charms aren't the most important spells, however. Most of Kurapika's focus is on charms that can prevent the toxins in the Forest of Dreams from taking root, which he'll offer assistance with as well.

Once they have reached the edge of the forest, Kurapika nods as his partner before heading in. Even at the entrance, the ground is littered with mana stones. ]

Hm... this might take a while to clean up.

[ It's memshare time! Here are a few options you can select from:
-Uvogin: Kurapika's first kill. "How can you do these things, yet feel and think nothing at all?"
-Friendship: Kurapika confides in his friends, and Gon asks him to place a conditional bond on his heart to ensure he keeps a secret.
-Test: A young Kurapika and his best friend travel to a nearby town as part of his test to leave. (cw: ableism)
-Returned: Kurapika wins a bidding war for a pair of Scarlet Eyes. This can be third person interactable, please specify if that's what you want! (cw: eye horror)
-Funeral: Kurapika holds a funeral for his fallen people. This can be third person interactable, please specify if that's what you want! (cw: eye horror) ]

ii. clean-up;

[ The scrap that litters the streets is both an eyesore and a hazard, so that's what Kurapika works on moving first. The blood on the streets can wait, at least for now.

He's working on enchanting a rather large pile of scrap to make it smaller and lighter. Keeping his voice low, he motions over any fellow wizards he spots. ]

Help me with this.

[ Sorry, he's voluntelling you. ]

iii. ladies' night;

[ Kurapika isn't going to pass up on any infiltration opportunities, especially if he's able to learn something. That's why he's in the courtyard of the manor, two fake invitations in hand and looking very different. ]

Come with me. I'll assist you with transformation spells if you need it. [ A pause. ] Makeup too.

iv. wildcard/bulletin board;

[ Hit me up with whatever you want! Kurapika also has a note offering combat training up on the bulletin board for anyone who would take him up on that offer! ]

i - Uvogin

[troublereduction]

[ Day, for his part, is focusing on both the warming and protection charms, because he hates the Northern cold almost as much as he hates the idea of dying due to deadly toxins. ]

This place looks way worse than when I came here the last time. [ Jfc. ]

[revengier]

It was in bad shape when I went with a small group a few days ago... but it's worse now.

[ He picks up a mana stone, frowning as he pockets it. ]

I suppose we should make use of the mana stones while we can.

[ Even if he isn't particularly happy about it. Kurapika's foot knocks against something, what he thinks is a mana stone, but when he looks down... it's a rock, the sort that doesn't belong in the forest.

In fact, why is the ground ahead of them covered in dirt rather than leaves? ]

[troublereduction]

At least it's mostly monsters.

[ ...Probably. Does he want to entertain the morbid thought there might be some dead wizards here?

While he's looking at the ground for mana stones to pick up, he starts to see the path turn into dirt instead of leaves. ]

...Somethin's off.

[revengier]

[ He furrows his brows. The color of the dirt, the very smell of it, feels sickeningly familiar. ]

It is. [ ... ] I suppose we should press on anyway, shouldn't we?

[ That's what Kurapika will do, at the very least, even as their surroundings begin to look more and more like they're headed to the precipice of some sort of gorge a distance away, the river having dried out millennia ago.

What's most pressing, however, is the way the ground practically shakes with the force of a giant's steps, and the sound of chains hitting rock shortly after.

Kurapika knows what this is, or at least, he has a feeling. But he says nothing at all. ]

i- first kill ouo

[lighthaus]

Please. That assumes either one of us would want to fall behind each other.

[ part bluster part confidence. khun's dressed for the weather, though he hasn't really looked thrilled with the cold water since they've arrived.

he'll start to stroll in since the faster they get this done, the faster they can leave. ]

[revengier]

You could stand to be more cautious.

[ Especially here. But Kurapika's warning is half-hearted anyway, simply because he believes that Khun won't have trouble fighting off whatever threats come their way.

Though... Khun's foot will eventually knock against a rock that's slightly larger than the mana stones littering the forest floor.

And the forest floor itself doesn't look very forest-y either. Rather than leaves and tree roots, dirt has settled over the ground before them. ]

[lighthaus]

[ at first he thinks the rock (?) is simply a big manastone, a prize for him having to deal with the weather that reminds him of home. but this doesn't look like one, and there's suddenly less grass and more ground out of nowhere. ]

Kurapika.

The environment's shifting. [ his voice has dropped low, scanning for whatever else might be coming their way. ]

[revengier]

[ Kurapika looks over at Khun and nods. It certainly is, isn't it? Even now, he can see it shifting before his very eyes, the trees making way for a clear, dusty landscape and a large crack in the earth... a gorge, devoid of a stream. ]

Have you heard about the toxins of this forest? The hallucinations it can cause?

[ He thinks they just might be caught in one.

Specifically his. ]

i - Returned --> third person interactable is a pref;

[foresightis2020]

[ Frigid, dangerous, and unkind.

So many words that can be used to aptly describe the North indeedy.

And so, here is Jing Yuan, willing to help out Kurapika all the same. He has been focusing on other areas of magic rather than warming charms admittedly but he does finally have a decent one upon himself. ]

Perhaps, but we could always find a way to make it a fun activity.

[ Is he joking... ]

[revengier]

A fun activity? And what do you suggest?

[ Throwing mana stones at one another? Kurapika fights the urge to roll his eyes as he motions for Jing Yuan to follow him deeper into the forest. ]

[foresightis2020]

Hmm...let me think about it for a moment.

[ Pause. ]

Play catch.

[ Yeah, let them throw mana stones at each other.

Anyway he is following along, and considering he hasn't bothered picking up the stones and throwing them, he clearly isn't being serious. ]

[revengier]

[ That makes him smile a little bit, even as they continue forward. ]

I'm almost disappointed that you haven't actually picked one—

[ ...Hm.

At some point, the scenery had shifted, the forest trees morphing into something else entirely—the hallways of a large, upscale building. In the middle of the hallway are closed double doors, the sound of a muffled voice speaking into a microphone coming from inside.

The sound of footsteps pattering down the hall come from behind, and if Jing Yuan isn't fast enough, he'll be clipped by someone familiar running past. He's slightly younger and wearing different clothes, but it certainly is Kurapika.

Does he follow? ]

i - you pick

[dyingtohealyou]

[Fortunately, this isn't the first time either of them has been to the forest of dreams, and accordingly Ahito's able to get his own spells in place as soon as they're needed.]

It might take a bit, but it's convenient for us, in a way.

[If you're the type to eat mana stones, which. Oops.]

[revengier]

Mm, it is. Let's hope most of these are from animals rather than anything else.

[ He'd rather not eat the stones of dead wizards. Kurapika motions for Ahito to follow, as they're both familiar with their surroundings right now.

However, eventually Kurapika's foot knocks against something, what he presumes is a mana stone. Looking down instead proves that it's a rock, the kind that belongs in a dry landscape rather than a forest.

And speaking of landscapes, the forest has begun to slowly disappear, transforming into something closer to a gorge with a dried out river. ]

...I know this place.

[ He could never forget it, after all. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

I've kind of made my peace with not thinking about it.

[Given Mika just kinda gave him a sack of them and made sure he chowed down............. rip. Still, he follows along, and...

...This is no longer the forest.]

...? Where...?

[revengier]

The first person I killed. I fought them here.

[ And sure enough, there's a rumbling in the distance, the sound of the earth caving in in some places, followed by the sound of chains hitting the ground and ricocheting off of rocks. ]

iii

[shortleash]

( Mika managed his transformation spell in private, because he futzed up so many times and he did not want anyone else to witness his shame at being bad at any type of magic this late in the game. He, conversely, does not look very different, with the same fluffy hairstyle as always, only faintly altered features, and an otherwise feminine figure.

His outfit is probably just his usual wear, which means it's not super comfortable to wear right now with the way he fills it out differently than usual. He was probably going to grab clothes or something on the way, in West. )

... Makeup?

( isn't transformation enough, )

[revengier]

[ He lowers his sunglasses just a bit, giving Mika a onceover to assess his transformation. ]

You look too similar. If anyone in that party has seen your face before, they'll recognize you.

[shortleash]

( okay... true... BUT...

Mika looks like he's looking for a means to argue, but he doesn't have a great excuse, and he really does not want to have to redo the transformation... It was such a pain...

Eventually: )

... And you're good enough at makeup to make a difference?

[revengier]

Of course I am. I've done this before.

[ And if he's not... well, confidence counts, right?

But experience really means something here, so he'll lower his sunglasses, showing Mika the light touch of eyeliner he's applied that accentuates the shape of his eyes so that they appear more cat-like. ]

wildcard

[jokey]

[Kurapika stumbles into the northern forest and finds his boyfriend dead in a glue trap. The end.

That would be funny, but there's nothing funny about finding Akira unconscious and face down in the snow. He's been here long enough that snow has begun to accumulate on his back, starkly contrasting his black clothing. Hopefully Kurapika doesn't trip over him and break an ankle.]

[revengier]

Akira!

[ He would know that slumped form anywhere, black clothing and all.

It's a good thing Kurapika can keep his cool, isn't it? It's why he immediately places a warming spell on Akira and lifts him up out of the snow, so that he's sitting upright rather than panicking. Even so, there's a definite nervous energy in his voice. ]

Akira. Wake up.

[ He needs to be conscious if he wants to regain any of his actual body heat. With a frown, Kurapika lightly smacks at his cheeks. ]

[jokey]

[He stirs to the sound of Kurapika's panicked voice, the call of his name ringing like bells in his ears. His mind's all fuzzy, and when he opens his eyes, he can barely focus on Kurapika. Still... at least he's alive, no?]

...Hey.

[What's up, homie?]

[revengier]

Is that all you have to say?

[ He frowns, deep enough that it's easy to see even as Akira can't focus his gaze at anything in particular. But now that Akira's awake, his voice has taken on a much calmer affect, and he presses a hand to his cheek, murmuring his incantation to cast a healing spell. The warmth that blankets Akira is soft yet fiery, filling his very veins with what should now be a familiar magical scent. ]

What were you doing out here?